


Close your eyes and dream for me

by roseclaw



Category: One Direction
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-14
Updated: 2012-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-12 02:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseclaw/pseuds/roseclaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn likes to sleep. He’s a growing teenager: teenagers need sleep. Harry catches on, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close your eyes and dream for me

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/profile)[**hc_bingo**](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/) for my “imprisonment” square. Beta by [](http://saekokato.livejournal.com/profile)[**saekokato**](http://saekokato.livejournal.com/). Lesser known Greek deities for the win!

**Fandom:** One Direction  
 **Pairing:** Zayn/Harry  
 **Rating:** PG-13  
 **Word Count:** 1,918  
 **Warnings:** Greek Myth, a little bit of dub-con, no Britpick  
 **Author's Note:** For [](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/profile)[**hc_bingo**](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/) for my “imprisonment” square. Beta by [](http://saekokato.livejournal.com/profile)[**saekokato**](http://saekokato.livejournal.com/). Lesser known Greek deities for the win!  
 **Disclaimer:** Everyone here belongs to themselves  
 **Summary:** Zayn likes to sleep. He’s a growing teenager: teenagers need sleep. Harry catches on, though.

 

Close your eyes and dream for me

 

Someone leaves a poppy on Zayn’s suitcase. It’s bright orange with a short, prickly stem. He stares at it, his mind slowly processing. He growls slightly, grabs the flower, and crumples it up. Zayn anticipates throwing it into the rubbish bin, but Harry enters the hotel room, so Zayn throws it at his head. Except it’s a flower, so it barely makes it half the distance.

Harry stares at the crumpled orange and green mess on the floor, and then he looks to Zayn. The look Harry gives Zayn is unreadable for the most part, but there’s definitely confusion in there, too.

Zayn shrugs it off and announces he’s going out for a smoke. When he returns, Harry’s not there, and the flower is gone.

-

Zayn knows that Harry knows something, but he’s not sure exactly what Harry knows. Zayn knows it’s not the truth or even part of it, but he makes sure that he’s asleep before Harry returns from the pub undoubtedly pissed.

-

In the van from London to wherever they’re going down the M4, Zayn is the first to fall asleep, but he wakes up when Harry sticks a finger in Zayn’s ear. He jerks awake, almost taking a bite out of Harry’s finger. Zayn is actually lucky it’s just his ear and not his nose or mouth or nipple or crotch.

Harry cackles a bit to himself. “I’m bored.”

Zayn blearily looks around, and everyone else is asleep. “You could sleep yourself,” Zayn points out.

“Too tired to sleep,” Harry says. Zayn is about to say something damning when Harry continues, “What was that thing with the flower?”

“Nothing,” Zayn says a bit too quickly.

“You have a crazy ex or something?” Harry prods. Of course to Harry flowers only mean something sexual.

Zayn snorts. “It’s nothing, mate.”

Harry shrugs. “You’d only say that if it were something.”

“You know I’m boring, right?” Zayn says. “Ask Louis to entertain you.”

“He already did,” Harry says, pointing to the tiny cocks drawn all over Louis’s face. At least it’s done in pen instead of something more permanent. Make-up is still going to be livid about it. Zayn also notices how there is also a pen of the same color in Niall’s lax hand.

Zayn regrets taking the seat next to Harry. It had seemed like a good idea at the time: Zayn could sleep in Harry’s warmth. Zayn is always too cold.

“Just close your eyes and sleep,” Zayn says carefully, trying not to put anything deeper behind his words. They should just be words.

Harry huffs and bounces slightly in his seat.

“C’mere,” Zayn says, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulling him close.

Harry is all angles, and his chin digs into Zayn’s shoulder. Zayn will rearrange him once Harry’s asleep. Harry kisses Zayn’s neck, and Zayn tries to control his breathing.

“Sleep,” Zayn says, and it’s not just a word.

-

The next evening after the performance, Zayn makes sure he goes to the pub to throw Harry’s suspicion off. He gets pissed with his lads. Zayn and Niall end up giving each other stupid dares involving food. Niall wins.

Harry corners Zayn when he steps out for a fag, which is something that Zayn had been hoping to avoid. Harry, not the cigarette.

Harry puts both hands on each side of Zayn’s face, rubbing the stubble. He looks into Zayn’s eyes, assessing. The thing is they’re both hours from sober, and Harry is even more handsy than usual.

Zayn carefully watches every move Harry makes. Zayn snubs his cigarette out on the wall behind him, and he cups his hands over Harry’s. Harry shows minimal surprise, but he’s still suspicious.

He whispers into Zayn’s neck, his lips rasping against Zayn’s stubble. “Tell me about the flower.”

Zayn doesn’t react. He derails Harry’s thoughts by giving him a proper snog, one like they’ve been dancing around since the beginning, since that first rehearsal as a band on X Factor. Zayn makes sure to keep Harry’s hands above the waist, but Harry’s tongue is pleasantly wicked. It probably doesn’t mean anything now, because they’re both drunk, but it distracts, and for now that’s all Zayn needs. It’s not like Harry will remember in the morning, Zayn will make sure of that.

-

They’re in the middle of a signing. Louis is being himself, and Niall is moaning to fans about how he hasn’t eaten in hours. Harry is giving Zayn some strange, sidelong looks, and Liam is giving Harry and Zayn strange, sidelong looks.

There’re too many screaming girls, and for the most part, it’s routine. Until a girl gives him a pomegranate. Zayn stares at it, spooked and suspicious. The girl had been giving Zayn the biggest smile until she realizes that Zayn isn’t smiling back.

“What’s wrong?” she asks. “I was told you like them.”

“By whom?” Zayn asks, trying hard not to sound like he’s being strangled. Harry gives Zayn a weird look.

The girl points over her shoulder. Zayn follows the line until he catches sight of his brother. Zayn can’t remember the last time he’d seen his brother, but he’d looked different back then. Zayn can still recognize him. He hasn’t exactly been lying low, so he isn’t really surprised he’d attracted the attention of Olympus. What is surprising is that he’d also attracted the attention of Hades as well.

“And what’s your name?” Zayn asks as pleasantly as he can.

“He told me that he’d like you to make it out to, uh, Hera,” she said uncertainly. “But, um, my name’s Carry.”

Zayn signs for Carry and gives Paul a very stern look and then looks out to his brother. Paul follows Zayn’s gaze and moves, two security guards following. Zayn sighs a quick sigh of relief and smiles brightly at the next girl in line, but he is very much aware of how much scrutiny Harry and Liam are giving him.

-

Zayn gives the pomegranate to Niall, even though they’re not supposed to eat anything fans give them. It’s probably not an ordinary fruit anyway. Niall can handle himself, and Zayn will stand behind him.

Liam and Zayn are the first ones in the van, Harry, Niall, and Louis are speaking to some lingering fans.

“What was that about?” Liam asks.

“What?” Zayn asks, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Liam points in Zayn’s face. “I will set Harry _and_ Louis on you. At the same time.”

“It…” Zayn looks away and toys with how much he should say. “It’s my past coming back to haunt me.”

“You’re not yet 20,” Liam protests. “How could you have a sordid past?”

Zayn doesn’t answer.

“Harry _and_ Louis,” Liam reminds him.

“I can’t, Liam,” Zayn says. He presses his lips together.

Liam frowns at Zayn, considering. “Fine,” he concedes. “It’ll be just Harry, then.”

“What’ll Harry be doing?” Niall asks as he climbs into the van.

“Me!” Louis announces as he enters behind Niall. He drapes himself over Niall’s shoulders.

Zayn snorts.

“What’d I miss?” Harry asks, bounding in after Louis.

Liam eyes Zayn. “Zayn’s just being weird,” he says with a shrug.

Harry squeezes in between Liam and Zayn, draping his arms over both. “So nothing, really.”

Zayn falls asleep before Liam can cause more damage.

-

Harry barges into Zayn’s hotel room. “Liam sent me.”

Zayn had been asleep.

“Seriously, Zayn,” Harry sighs. “You’re bloody narcoleptic.”

Zayn cracks open an eye. “Sleep,” he murmurs.

Harry gives him a slight nod and immediately sags, crawling onto Zayn’s bed. He doesn’t even bother to remove his shoes, and Zayn thinks he might have overdone it just a bit.

Harry’s lips are right next Zayn’s ear when he says, mostly asleep, “We’re still gonna chat.”

-

Harry is still asleep when Zayn wakes. There’s someone else in the room. Zayn recognizes the smell of opium and the undercurrent of Lethe. It’s been a while, but Thanatos stands over the bed. It’s not the same form as earlier, but it’s still Thanatos.

“Brother,” Zayn says, carefully as not to wake Harry.

“What are you playing at?” Thanatos asks.

Zayn doesn’t know if he can explain.

Thanatos sighs. “You always had a way with mortals, but you’ve attracted the attention of Hera.”

“I figured that’s what your message meant,” Zayn says.

“She’ll take your mortals from you,” he warns.

“I’ve always done what she’s asked for in the past,” Zayn says.

“Even defied Zeus,” Thanatos says with a nod. “But that was thousands of years ago.”

Zayn looks away, because he doesn’t have an answer. Except he accidently looks to Harry, who is not exactly asleep anymore, but he’s not awake yet either.

“What does she want?” Zayn asks.

“Recognition,” Thanatos says. “Beliefs are dying.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Zayn says. Twitter will help him.

“See that you do, Hypnos” he says, “because I’m the one ordered to collect your mortals if you don’t please her.”

“I’m stuck,” Zayn blurts out. “Hera has kept me in a mortal body. Over and over, Thanatos. It’s been millennia.”

Thanatos doesn’t respond, but Zayn can feel Harry stiffen next to him.

-

Zayn spams twitter with all sorts of things about Hera, Zeus, and the rest of the pantheon. He also gives a shout-out to Hades and Nyx. And because he’s not above it, mentions himself.

@zaynmalik  
 _Thunderstorm today. Guess zeus doesn’t like leeds. x_

@zaynmalik  
 _@Louis_Tomlinson instagrammed me asleep again. Hypnos must love me! :) x_

And because Harry can’t ever not have the last word, he responds with _Too bad Morpheus couldn’t be found. #Zaynisdreamy #Zaynisagod_

He knows that the next interview he is going to have to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions, especially when both those hash tags start trending. He also knows that Hera isn’t done with him. She’s never been one to ask for so little.

-

“So, Zayn,” Harry says, and Zayn realizes they’re alone in the green room. “But that’s not your real name, yeah?”

Harry is sitting on the couch, poised as can be, not realizing exactly what is at stake.

“You’ve just inspired thousands of teenaged girls to learn about Greek myth,” Harry says. “To protect your mortals.”

Zayn doesn’t like the way Harry’s narrowing his eyes and how Harry’s mouth is turned down at the corners.

“The worst part is that you’ve drugged me,” Harry says. “More than once, too.”

Zayn looks away guiltily.

Harry says, “You’re going to call a band meeting, and we’re going to discuss this.”

“Which this?” Zayn asks. He’s not sure he wants an answer.

“Just the part about being a deity stuck in a mortal body,” Harry says smoothly, as if it were just that easy. It would have been years ago. “We need to know how to field the questions. But we – you and I – are going to have a chat about the part where you made me forget the parts when we snogged.”

Zayn looks to him in alarm.

Harry points to Zayn’s neck. “I recognize my handiwork.”

Zayn flushes slightly.

“And I wasn’t the least bit pissed that night,” Harry adds. He scoffs. “You could’ve just asked. Or told us. Or told me.” He pauses to look at Zayn. “For Christ’s sake, get your arse over here so I can snog you properly and remember it.”

Zayn walks over to the couch as if in a dream, and Harry’s tongue is just as wicked as Zayn remembers.


End file.
